Retractable roof for a vehicle comprising a transmitting movement device

ABSTRACT

A retractable roof for a vehicle comprising at least one front roof element ( 4 ) and one rear roof element ( 3 ), these at least two elements being mobile between a covering position in which they cover the passenger compartment of the vehicle and a storage position in which they are folded away in the rear boot of the vehicle, the roof also comprising two pivoting arms ( 1, 2 ) mounted such as to pivot around axles of rotation ( 9, 10 ) on the rear roof element ( 3 ) between a longitudinal position in which they extend between the front end of the rear element ( 3 ) and the rear of the windscreen on either side and all along the front roof element ( 4 ), and a transverse position in which they overlap each other transversally in relation to the plane of symmetry of the vehicle. It comprises a device ( 11 ) for transmitting the movement from the rear roof element ( 3 ) to the pivoting arms ( 1, 2 ), the said transmission device ( 11 ) being arranged such as to enable, in a reversible manner, the movement of the pivoting arms ( 1, 2 ) between their longitudinal and transverse positions during the movement of the rear roof element between their covering and storage positions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a retractable roof for a vehicle and a vehicle comprising such a roof. Such a roof makes it possible mainly to transform a coupe or sedan vehicle into a cabriolet vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention applies more particularly to a retractable roof for a vehicle comprising at least one front roof element, one rear roof element and two arms that pivot around axles of rotation on the rear element of the roof. The front and rear roof elements are mobile between a covering position in which they cover the passenger compartment of the vehicle and a storage position in which they are stored in the rear boot. In their longitudinal position (covering position), the pivoting arms extend between the front end of the rear element and the rear of the windscreen, and when they are in their transverse position (storage position), they overlap transversally in relation to the plane of symmetry of the vehicle.

Document FR-2845949 relates to this type of retractable roof.

The advantage of this type of retractable roof is to limit the stacking height of the roof elements by doing away with the constraint imposed by the height of the lateral areas.

However, this type of roof has the disadvantage of requiring the use of actuators, which are relatively expensive, for controlling the pivoting movement of the arms during a storage or extending movement of the roof.

The invention aims to solve this problem by providing a control that is simple, inexpensive and reliable for the pivoting of the arms during a storage or extending movement of the roof. The control of the pivoting of the arms is simple because it uses the transmission of movement from a roof element to the lateral arms

For this purpose, according to a first aspect, the invention provides a retractable roof for a vehicle comprising at least one front roof element and one rear roof element, these at least two elements being mobile between a covering position in which they cover the passenger compartment of the vehicle and a storage position in which they are folded into the rear boot of the vehicle, the roof also comprising two pivoting arms mounted such as to pivot around axles of rotation on the rear element of the roof between the longitudinal position in which they extend between the front end of the rear element and the rear of the windscreen on either side and along the entire length of the front roof element, and the transverse position in which they overlap each other in relation to a plane of symmetry of the vehicle, characterised in that it comprises a device for the transmission of movement from the rear roof element to the pivoting arms, the said device being arranged such as to enable, in a reversible manner, the movement of the pivoting arms during the movement of the roof between its covering and storage positions.

Thus, the control of the movement of the arms is simple because the movement of the rear roof element is transmitted to the arms and allows them to pivot.

Another advantage that results from the invention is to make it possible to modify the pivoting range of the arms, and thus their speed according to the position of the rear roof element during its movement.

Thus, according to the invention, the transmission device can be adapted such as to limit the pivoting speed of the arms in the areas of the rear roof element in which the movement starts and ends. In fact, in these areas there is a risk of interference between the pivoting arms and an external element (human body, ceiling, etc.) or between the arms and the elements of the vehicle (roof elements, boot, etc.)

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The other characteristics of the invention emerge from the following description of an embodiment of the invention, made in reference to the appended figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the roof elements and the device for transmitting the movement from the rear roof element to the pivoting arm;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the transmission device and a lever arm;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the transmission device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A detailed embodiment of the invention is described below in relation to the figures.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the elements 1, 2, 3, 4 of the roof and the device 11 for transmission of the movement from the rear roof element 3 to the pivoting arms 1, 2. The vehicle comprises mainly a rear roof element 3 and at least one front roof element 4.

Although FIG. 1 shows two hard front roof elements 4 a, 4 b, it is important to note that the invention is applicable regardless of the number and type of front roof elements 4. In fact, these can be hard, soft or made up of small strips. They can be sliding or connected to each other. Moreover, in their storage position, the front roof element or elements 4 can equally be stored above, as shown on the right hand side of FIG. 1, or under the rear roof element 3.

The movement of the rear roof element 3 is controlled, on the one hand, by a guide 5 that extends inside the rear boot in which a catch solidly joined to the rear part of the rear element 3 is inserted and, on the other hand, by a lever arm 7 connected to a fixed point 6 of the vehicle body and connected to a fixed point 8 of the rear roof element 3.

In the covering position, two pivoting arms 1, 2 extend all along the lateral sides of the front roof element or elements 4 between the front of the rear roof element 3 and the rear of the windscreen of the vehicle.

The arms 1, 2 are mounted such as to pivot around each axle of rotation 9, 10 situated on the front of the rear roof element 5. The axles of rotation are not parallel, the movement of the arms 1, 2 thus takes place in two different planes, so that the arms 1, 2 can overlap each other when they are stored in transverse position.

When retracting the roof, the two arms 1, 2 pivot around their axles of rotation 9, 10 from a longitudinal position to a transversal position.

The following is a detailed description of the device for the transmission of movement 11, referring more specifically to FIGS. 2 and 3.

In the embodiment of the invention described below, the transmission device 11 is made up of two symmetric lateral parts, each of which transmits the movement to a pivoting arm 1, 2. Here, only the operation of one lateral part will therefore be described. In another possible embodiment of the invention, the device 11 for transmitting the movement can be disposed on a single lateral part of the vehicle.

A connecting rod 19 is connected to these two ends.

At one end, the connecting rod 19 is connected by a crankpin 12 sliding in a guide 13 of the lever arm 7. The guide 13 of the lever arm 7 is located near its connection 8 with the rear element 3.

At its other end, the connecting rod 19 is connected to a control tab 17 of the arm 1, located near its axle of rotation 9. When retracting the roof, the connecting rod 19 moves in a direction A in relation to the rear roof element and pushes the control tab 17, which then rotates around the rotation axle 9 of the arm 1 and thus transmits the movement to the pivoting arm 1.

According to the detailed embodiment of the invention, the crankpin 12 also slides in a guide 14 disposed on a cam 18 that is solidly joined to the rear roof element 3. The guide 14 of the rear roof element 3 has a particular curvature that makes it possible to change the pivoting speed of the arm 1 according to the position of the rear roof element 3 throughout its movement.

When the roof is in its covering position, the crankpin 12 is located at the rear end of the guide 14 solidly joined to the rear roof element 3.

When retracting the roof, the lever arm 7 rotates in clockwise direction around its articulation axle 8 on the rear roof element 4. This rotation drives the movement of the connecting rod 19 in the direction A.

At the start of the retracting movement of the roof, there might be interference with the pivoting arms 1, 2. This can consist of interference with persons occupying the vehicle or with roof elements that have not yet been removed from the arm. In order to reduce the risk of interferences, the device 11 for transmission of movement limits the pivoting range of the arms 1, 2 in this area.

For this, at the start of the retracting movement of the roof, the rotation movement of the lever arm 7 in relation to its articulation axle 8 on the rear roof element 3 causes the sliding of the crankpin 12 in a low-pivoting area 16′ of the guide 13 of the lever arm 7. The guide 13 thus makes it possible to limit the movement of the connecting rod 19 in the direction A, relative to the rear roof element 3. Thus, the connecting rod 19 transmits a low range of movement to the control tab 17 of the pivoting arm 1. The movement of the pivoting arms 1, 2 is therefore limited or zero, so that the arms 1, 2 begin their movement in an essentially vertical longitudinal plane.

Likewise, towards the end of the retracting movement of the roof, there might be interference between the pivoting arms 1, 2 and elements of the vehicle. This can consist of an interference with the boot lid, which is open from front to back, or with the opening through which the roof passes into the boot or even with the walls of the boot. In order to reduce the risks in this area, the device 11 for transmitting the movement limits the pivoting movement of the arms 1, 2 in this area.

For this reason, towards the end of the retracting movement of the roof, when the arms are already in their transverse position, the crankpin 12 slides in the low-pivoting area 16 of the guide 14 solidly joined to the rear roof element 3. In this area, the movement of the connecting rod 19 in the direction A, relative to the rear roof element 3, is limited. Consequently, the connecting rod 19 transmits a low range of movement to the control tab 17 of the pivoting arm 1 and the range of movement of the arms 1, 2 in this area is limited.

In an intermediate area of the movement of the roof, the risks of interference are reduced; the pivoting range and speed of the pivoting arms can therefore be a lot greater.

For this, in this intermediate area of movement of the roof, the crankpin 12 slides in the high-pivoting area 15 of the guide 14 solidly joined to the rear roof element 3. Thus, the movement of the connecting rod 19 in the direction A, relative to the rear roof element 3, is maximum. The pivoting range of the arms 1, 2 and therefore the speed, is a lot greater in this area.

It should be mentioned that during a roof movement, the crankpin 12 follows a curve 20 with a profile that results from the combination of the relative movements of the guides 13, 14. The low-pivoting areas 16, 16′ and the high-pivoting area 15 can be seen in this curve 20.

Other types of interference with the pivoting arms 1, 2 can also be found, mainly with a ceiling. In this case, the pivoting of the arms 1, 2 should be provided before and/or after passing under the ceiling. For this, the shape of the guide 14 solidly joined to the rear element 3 can be adapted.

Evidently, although the operation of the device 11 for transmitting the movement from the roof to the pivoting arms 1, 2 is only explained in detail for the retracting movement of the roof, the transmission of the movement also takes place when extending the roof.

In fact, when extending the roof, the lever arm 7 rotates in anti-clockwise direction around its articulation axle 8 on the rear roof element 3. This rotation drives the movement of the connecting rod 19 in the direction B, opposite to the direction A, relative to the rear roof element 3.

Thus, at the start of the extending movement of the roof, the rotation movement of the lever arm in relation to its articulation axle 8 causes the movement of the crankpin 12 in the low-pivoting area 16 of the guide 14 solidly joined to the rear element 3. The guide 14 makes it possible thus to limit the movement of the connecting rod 19 in the direction B. Thus, the connecting rod 19 transmits a low range of movement to the control tab 17 of the pivoting arm 1.

Likewise, at the end of the spreading movement of the roof, the crankpin 12 slides in the guide 13 of the lever arm 7. The guide 13 makes it possible thus to limit the movement of the connecting rod 19 in the direction B. In this way, the connecting rod 19 transmits a low range of movement to the control tab 17 of the pivoting arm 1. The movement of the pivoting arms 1, 2 is thus limited or cancelled out, so that the arms 1, 2 finish their movement in an essentially vertical longitudinal plane.

It will be understood that this disclosure, in many respects, is only illustrative. Changes may be made in details, particularly in matters of shape, size, material, and arrangement of parts without exceeding the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is as defined in the language of the appended claims. 

1. A retractable roof for a vehicle comprising at least one front roof element and one rear roof element, these at least two elements being mobile between a covering position in which they cover the passenger compartment of the vehicle and a storage position in which they are folded away in the rear boot of the vehicle, the roof also comprising two pivoting arms mounted such as to pivot around axles of rotation on the rear roof element between a longitudinal position in which they extend between the front end of the rear element and the rear of the windscreen on either side and all along the front roof element, and a transverse position in which they overlap each other transversally in relation to the plane of symmetry of the vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a device for transmitting the movement from the rear roof element to the pivoting arms, the said transmission device being arranged such as to enable, in a reversible manner, the movement of the pivoting arms between their longitudinal and transverse positions during the movement of the rear roof element between their covering and storage positions.
 2. A retractable roof according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission device makes it possible to modify the pivoting speed of the arms during the movement of the rear roof element between its covering and storage positions.
 3. A retractable roof according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission device transmits a low pivoting range to the arms in at least one first area and a high pivoting range in a second area.
 4. A retractable roof according to claim 3, characterized in that the first area is located at the start and/or at the end of the movement of the rear roof element.
 5. A retractable roof according to claim 1, in which the movement of the rear element is controlled by at least one lever arm connected to the body of the vehicle and connected to the said rear element, characterized in that the transmission device comprises a connecting rod connected, on the one hand, to the lever arm near its connection with the rear element and, on the other hand, to a control tab of each of the arms located near their respective axles of rotation.
 6. A retractable roof according to claim 5, characterized in that the connecting rod is connected by a crankpin sliding in a guide of the lever arm.
 7. A retractable roof according to claim 6, characterized in that the crankpin also slides in a guide solidly joined to the rear roof element, the curve of which makes it possible to modify the pivoting speed of the arms depending on the position of the rear roof element during its movement.
 8. A motor vehicle characterized in that it comprises a retractable roof according to claim
 1. 